Ander - Part 6: Subchapter 185
185 A deep, low-pitched creaking noise filled the mill. It was the kind of sound you'd hear right before a tree finally fell to the axe. It was the unnerving groan of wood under strain. Mateo had been pushing his shoulder up against what felt like a...
Ander - Part 6: Subchapter 184
184 It was tough, climbing that dusty old ladder with only one good hand. He had to take it slow, despite the voices screaming at him to hurry the hell up, that nobody could keep Banno down for long. And not all those voices were in his head,...
Ander - Part 6: Subchapter 183
183 Luke had thought his nausea was under control, but seeing... seeing all this... it made him want to double over and wretch where he stood. There was blood everywhere; dripping down the stairs and splattered over the walls. There were even...
Ander - Part 6: Subchapter 182
182 "Do it for our baby!!" Kiana's voice echoed through the mill, hitting Ander like a slap in the face. Everything seemed to slow down with that echo, as if every reverberation took minutes instead of moments. The air was filled with motes of dust,...
Ander - Part 6: Subchapter 181
181 She knew this ache. She had felt it only once before, but not nearly as intense as this. It had come from the first Wolf she ever saw, the one with the scars running across his chest in jagged lines. _You_ bitch_! I tried to be_ nice_, and this...
Ander - Part 6: Subchapter 180
180 "No..." That was all Ander had time to say. Banno lunged forward, jaws working, teeth snapping. The tines of the pitchfork scraped along the stairs, scratching three thick furrows into the wood. Without stopping to think, Ander grabbed Hezzi and...
Ander - Part 6: Subchapter 179
179 "I'm sorry..." Hezzi whispered, staring down in horror at Banno's body. "I'm sorry... I- I'm sorry..." His eyes went glassy and unfocussed. He swayed in place and began to pitch backward. He raised his arm, but it was an unconscious response, as...
Ander - Part 6: Subchapter 178
178 Ander reached for the stairs, but even this small movement was torture. He slid down to the floor, gasping for air and leaving an arcing streak of blood against the wall, his fingertips barely brushing the first step. He felt heavy, as if someone...
Ander - Part 6: Subchapter 177
177 Ander felt the pain before anything else. It came back slowly, seeping through the fog of his delirium like blood through shredded rags. Every inch of him soon turned into a screaming, throbbing collection of pain, but the worst of it was...
Ander - Part 6: Subchapter 176
176 Ander had been drifting in and out of consciousness, but he had no idea for how long. The only measure of time he had was the lantern at the top of the stairs, shining in the dark like a beacon, egging him on. He'd grab hold of one of the risers,...
Ander - Part 6: Subchapter 175
175 Nilia showed more of a reaction than Banno did. Her eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open. "You're lying..." she breathed, and the Fox simply smiled that smug, self-satisfied little grin, a grin that had no business being on his mouth when...
Ander - Part 6: Subchapter 174
174 There was something wrong, but Banno couldn't understand what it was. There was something different. He hated this! He had to resort to leaning against the wall just to keep from falling down. It was like that damn crutch all over again. And then...